Boca woman takes on marathon to do 'something big'

Hammerman will ride using a hand cycle

The inspirational saying is part of her e-mail signature and it's constantly running around in her head. It's part of who she is.

It also describes the approach she took when she began training for the Palm Beaches Marathon six months ago. Hammerman, who suffers from cerebral palsy, will take part in the 26.2 mile marathon in downtown West Palm Beach on Sunday morning using a hand cycle.

"I decided that I wanted to set out and do something big," Hammerman said.

The 21-year-old Boca Raton resident looked no further than her first full marathon to satisfy that craving. She trained four days per week, gradually building up her endurance in hopes of accomplishing her goal to complete the event in around four hours.

And even though Hammerman's condition forces her to use a wheelchair or crutches to get around, the Lynn University senior and New York native will go far Sunday.

"If you told me about a year ago that I would be doing 26 miles in a hand cycle, I would probably laugh at you," she said. "But this is something that I decided I wanted to do and I worked for it."

Hammerman is expected be a part of a group of about 3,500 runners participating in the Palm Beaches Marathon, which begins and finishes at the Waterfront Park.

And that's exactly how she wants to be referred to — just one of the many participants.

"I never see myself as an inspiration for people, I'm just living my life," Hammerman said.

But in reality, she will be part of something bigger than that. Hammerman will be taking part in the marathon with Achilles International, which provides athletes with disabilities with a community of support.

"I think Stephanie is someone that doesn't let obstacles get in her way," Hammerman's uncle Ira said. "She sets high goals for herself and this was a goal that she set. Once she sets her mind to something, you can be pretty sure that she's going to accomplish it."

Ira Hammerman will be part of a contingent cheering Hammerman on Sunday. She expects about 20 family members traveling from different places such as New York, Arizona and Washington D.C., to be at the marathon.

Hammerman's group of supporters won't be difficult to miss. They had lime green shirts made with her picture on the front and her favorite saying on the back: Failure is not an option.

After all, that's the motto that has gotten her through this long process.

"It's going to mean the world to me to cross the finish line and just know that I did it," Hammerman said. "If anybody has something to cross off their list of things to do in life, you always want to have the satisfaction of crossing that off your list.

"I think Sunday is definitely going to go down in history as a day that I can cross something off my list — I did a full marathon."